Commencing with grant applications submitted during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1994, and for each fiscal year thereafter, in which funds are available pursuant to section 10-265d, the Commissioner of Education shall have the authority to receive, review and approve or disapprove applications for state grants to local or regional boards of education, regional educational service centers or school districts entering into cooperative arrangements for the purchase of vocational education equipment as defined in section 10-265a. Applications shall be submitted to the Commissioner of Education annually at such time and on such forms as the commissioner prescribes. The Commissioner of Education shall annually review and approve or disapprove each application and notify the applicant of the approval or disapproval of each application and, if the application is approved, of the amount of the estimated grant pursuant to section 10-265c. The commissioner shall authorize grant payments based upon such approved grant application from the local or regional board of education, regional educational service center or the board of education designated as the fiscal agent for school districts entering into cooperative arrangements. Only funds derived from local sources and the state grant paid to the applicant pursuant to this section shall be used in determining the final amount of each vocational education equipment grant. Each recipient of a grant pursuant to said section 10-265c shall submit a report of expenditures to the Commissioner of Education at such time and in such manner as the commissioner prescribes. The commissioner shall calculate any overpayment of the grant paid and the recipient shall return any such portion of a grant within sixty days after receipt of a written notice by the commissioner of such overpayment. In no event shall an adjustment result in a recipient being entitled to a grant greater than that already paid.

(P.A. 82-369, S. 20, 28; P.A. 83-501, S. 8, 12; P.A. 85-170, S. 2, 4; P.A. 87-499, S. 17, 34; P.A. 88-136, S. 14, 37; P.A. 93-376, S. 4, 13; P.A. 98-252, S. 79, 80; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1, S. 105, 121.)

History: P.A. 83-501 authorized school districts entering into cooperative arrangements pursuant to Sec. 10-158a to participate in the grant program; P.A. 85-170 entirely replaced prior provisions with new provisions authorizing the commissioner and not the board to receive and approve grant applications, permitting payment of grants prior to payment of the purchase price by the receiving board and providing for adjustment of grant amounts based upon documentation required to be filed by the grant recipient; P.A. 87-499 eliminated the requirement that the commissioner receive a copy of the executed purchase agreement in order to authorize grant payments, added that the state grant paid pursuant the section be used in determining the final grant amount and substituted “local sources” for “local tax sources”; P.A. 88-136 deleted obsolete provision re grant applications received during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1985; P.A. 93-376 substituted “1994” for “1986”, changed the provisions concerning the documentation of expenditures and overpayments, and made technical changes, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 98-252 repealed section, effective July 1, 1998; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1 amended P.A. 98-252 to remove section from list of those to be repealed, effective June 24, 1998.